HOMELESSNESS — CASEWORKERS
390. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Homelessness:
I have a supplementary question.
The Minister for Housing's spin and promises of investment will not get
homeless people off the street. When can homeless Western Australians expect to
start to see the services that they desperately need?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Order, please!
Mr J.N.
CAREY replied:
There actually is no spin. I and
the government are out there every day working to accelerate the delivery of
social housing. The opposition is all over the place on this issue. It pumps
out a huge number of attack media releases on housing and homelessness but has
not one solution.
Dr D.J. Honey: You're
the government!
Mr J.N. CAREY: Member for
Cottesloe, I will take that interjection.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Order!
Mr J.N. CAREY: Can I say
this.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Order! It seems
that a lot of your colleagues would like to help you answer the question, but I
ask them to resist that temptation and allow the Minister for Homelessness to
answer.
Mr J.N. CAREY: We are
delivering social housing. I have clearly reported to this Parliament on the
modular program, the timber frame program and the spot purchasing program. It
is on the record, member for Cottesloe.
I want to say this: they talk the
talk, but do not walk the walk. There is no genuine commitment by the
opposition, and a clear example of that was this year at the Mission Australia
Christmas lunch. Not one of the 15 opposition members
bothered to attend to show their appreciation and recognition of volunteers at
that event. I have gone every year as the member for Perth and the
minister. The only time we saw someone turn up was the Liberal candidate before
the state election. They see through you. Out of 15, not one of you could be
bothered. You were scoffing down your
Christmas lunches. They have a really sincere and genuine commitment, but not
one opposition member could be bothered to turn up to one of the key
events for the year for homelessness engagement in our state. That is a shame on the Leader of the Opposition, who
cannot even be bothered to be here. That is a shame on every member of
the opposition. They are so lazy and so insincere that not one of them took
even 30 minutes out of their time to bother to attend. I will not be lectured
by an opposition that has no solution and makes no real attempt. It is this
government that invests in social housing and homelessness to provide a roof
over the heads of the most vulnerable people in Western Australia.
The SPEAKER: Order! Members,
that concludes question time.